Home » Plant infomation

Myrica esculenta Buch-Ham.


Botanical Name	:	Myrica esculenta Buch-Ham.
English Name	:	Bay Berry. Candleberry. Myrtle or Wax Myrtle. Tallow Shrub. Vegetable Tallow and Waxberry
Synonym(s)	:	Myrica farquhariana Wall. Myrica sapida Wall., Myrica nagi Hook
Family	:	Myricaceae

General Info

Description

A small or moderate-sized evergreen tree, 3-5m. high. Bark grey or brownish grey, rough with deep vertical wrinkles; leaves lanceolate, oblong-obovate; flowers minute, unisexual, in axillary spikes; fruit an ellipsoid or ovoid drupe of the size of cherry, tubercles, reddish or cheese-coloured when ripe, with rugose nut.

Herb Effects

Antiseptic, carminative, analgesic, antiprotozoal, lowers blood pressure, antiviral, alleviates spasms and one of the best deobstruents and purifiers of the body (bark); pectoral, sedative, stomachic and carminative (fruits)

Links

Plants for a Future

Chemistry

Active Ingredients

Myricadiol, taraxerol, beta-sitosterol (root bark); myricanol (stem bark); tannins, flavonoid glycosides, myricitrin, resin and gum.

Chemistry of Active Ingredients

Name

CAS#

IUPAC Name

Formula

Structure

Myricadiol

17884-88-7

(3S,4aS,6aS,6aR,8aS,
12aS,14aS,14bS)-8a-(
hydroxymethyl)-4,4,6
a,6a,11,11 ,14b-hep
tamethyl-1,2,3,4a,5,
6,8,9,10,12,12a,13,1
4,14a-tetradecahydro
pi cen-3-ol

C₃₀H₅₀O₂

Taraxerol

22076-46-6

4,4,6a,6a,8a,11,11,1
4b-octamethyl-1,2,3,
4a,5,6,8,9,10,12,12a
,13,14,14a
-tetradecahydropicen
-3-ol

C₃₀H₅₀O

beta-Sitosterol

5779-62-4

17-(5-ethyl-6-methyl
-heptan-2-yl)-10,13-
dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9
,11,12,14, 15,16,17
-dodecahydro-1H-cycl
openta[a]phenanthren
-3-ol

C₂₉H₅₀O

Myricanol

Not Available

C₂₁H₂₆O₅

Myricitrin

Not Available

5,7-dihydroxy-3-[(2S
,3R,4R,5S,6S)-3,4,5-
trihydroxy-6-methyl-
oxan-2-yl] oxy-2-(3
,4,5-trihydroxypheny
l)chromen-4-one

C₂₁H₂₀O₁₂

Pharmacology

Medicinal Use

In dysentery, in asthma, diarrhoea, fevers, coughs, catarrh, chronic bronchitis, rheumatism and diuresis (bark); used as a poultice (for external ulcers and wounds).

Reference

Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.

Grieve M. A Modern Herbal (1931) (www.botanical.com).

Johnson T. CRC Ethnobotany Desk Reference (www.herbweb.com/herbage).

Dealers

Products

More Info

Search for Pictures

Search for Scholarly Articles

Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names